Ana Beatriz Stubinski, 22, was administered polylaminin, an experimental drug intended for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, on the evening of Tuesday, June 16. The procedure was performed at the Hospital do Trabalhador in Curitiba, where the young woman had been hospitalized since June 13 after being struck by a large branch while walking with her family in Praça Osório, in the center of the capital of Paraná.
According to Paraná State Health Secretary César Neves, the doctors’ initial priority was to stabilize the patient’s clinical condition to allow for a proper evaluation of the use of polylaminin. “We spared no effort to ensure Ana Beatriz has this therapeutic opportunity,” he stated.
The surgery was conducted by research physician Olavo Borges Franco and neurosurgeon João Elias Sarraf, who confirmed the procedure’s success.
Mitter Mayer Borges, coordinator of the Expanded Access to Polylaminin Program, praised the speed with which health authorities in Paraná mobilized to enable the treatment. “Today, Paraná is the Brazilian state with the highest number of patients treated with polylaminin,” he said.
After the drug is administered, Ana Beatriz will continue to be monitored at the Hospital do Trabalhador by a multidisciplinary team. Depending on the evolution of her clinical condition, she may subsequently be transferred to the Ana Carolina Moura Xavier Rehabilitation Hospital (CHR), a facility specializing in the functional recovery of patients with neurological injuries.
The treatment performed on Ana Beatriz represents the sixteenth polylaminin treatment performed in the state of Paraná. The patients who received the experimental therapy live in various cities in the region.
Polylaminin, developed by Brazilian researchers and authorized by Anvisa for clinical trials and controlled access programs, is considered one of the most promising innovations in the field of regenerative medicine. The substance aims to promote the regeneration of nerves and tissue damaged by spinal cord trauma.
The young woman’s mother, Vanessa Stubinski, publicly thanked all the professionals involved in her daughter’s care. In a message shared on social media, she wrote: “God has placed extraordinary people in our path.”
Due to the accident in Praça Osório, Ana Beatriz suffered severe spinal injuries that resulted in the loss of movement in her lower limbs. Her participation in the polylaminin program will also contribute to the collection of scientific data on the safety and efficacy of the treatment, which has so far shown encouraging results in patients with acute spinal cord injuries.